2011 Sony Ericsson Open: Vera Zvonareva vs. Victoria Azarenka – Semi-final Preview
3rd seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva has a new composed attitude this season and it’s paying off as she reached the semi-finals at Tennis Center at Crandon Park. She will next face 8th seeded Belarusian Victoria
Azarenka at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open on 1st of April.
The world number three, Zvonareva had won nine out of her last ten matches and for last 12 months she has a 52-18 win loss record so far though she managed to win only a single title. She is in her top form this season as she
made semi-final berths at the opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open and the Pattaya City event, losing to Kim Clijsters and Daniela Hanutchova respectively. The 26-year-old then displayed top notch performance at Doha where she won the title after destroying
top seeded Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets. Enroute to the semis in this event she overpowered wild card countrywoman Dinara Safina, 28th seeded Australian Jarmila Groth, 15th seeded French Marion Bartoli and 9th seeded
Polish Agnieszka Radwanska in the previous rounds.
Ranked 8th in the world, Azarenka is also in a good shape She has a convincing 41-20 win loss record for the last 12 months winning titles on two occasions. The 21-year-old made quarter-final berths at Sydney and Indian
Wells losing to Clijsters and Wozniacki respectively. The Belarusian then showed her tremendous skills at this WTA Premier event where she dumped Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka, 25th seeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova and 17th seeded
Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova by three set thrillers in pre-quarters. In the quarterfinal she upset the 2nd seeded Belgian Kim Clijsters, who had won twice at Key Biscayne before, in straight sets to reach this spot.
Both players have met eight times before with Zvonareva leading 6-2 against the Belarusian. She has won on her last two duels against Azarenka, with the latest being on the hard courts at Doha in October 2010. Zvonareva clearly
outshined her by smacking four aces, committing less double faults and converting four out of eleven breakpoint opportunities to her advantage to clinch the match 7-6(4), 6-4 win. Though she had a lower first serve share, she earned more on it and had a better
return point winning percentage.
In her last match here, Zvonareva clobbered more double faults and had a lower first serve percentage of 53 percent. However, she registered an impressive 61 percent win on it and saved 50 percent breakpoints. The Russian then
converted five out of seven breakpoint opportunities to her advantage to win in straight sets.
Azarenka on the other hand double faulted seven times and saved only 25 percent of breakpoints against the world number two Clijsters. However she had a higher first serve share of 66 percent and earned a convincing 65 percent
win on it. The Belarusian then converted six out of eight breakpoints to her advantage to upset the in-form Belgian in straight sets.
Both players are currently in their top forms and playing best tennis. However, Azarenka has the potential to overwhelm Zvonareva in three sets to make another upset.
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